There was double disappointment for Jasmine Paolini at the French Open, who lost the singles final on Saturday, while Coco Gauff assuaged her singles semi-final loss in Paris by landing her first Grand Slam doubles title alongside Katerina Siniakova on Sunday.
Every match, I think, we played really well, even when we weren’t playing so well we found a way to get out of it. For sure the last two matches were the toughest of the tournament, but we both did a good job of just staying calm and being aggressive and playing our tennis. She [Katerina Siniakova] did a good job of winning those long rallies. That was tough today. Coco GauffGauff & Siniakova lifted the French Open doubles trophy after their 7-6(5) 6-3 victory over Italians Sara Errani & Paolini, just one a day after the latter’s crushing 6-2 6-1 loss to World No 1 Iga Swiatek in the singles final.
In fact, both Paolini and Gauff fell in the singles to Swiatek, who went on to win her 4th French Open title, after Gauff went down to the 23-year old Pole, 6-2 6-4, in the Last 4.
The 20-year old American teamed up with Siniakova in a late unexpected partnership that only came together days before the start of Roland Garros when the Czech approached Gauff, whose regular partner, Jessica Pegula, had withdrawn from Paris due to injury.
The partners that Siniakova has teamed up with this year are also currently on the sidelines, after Australia’s Storm Hunter ruptured her Achilles at Billie Jean King Cup in April, and Taylor Townsend, with whom the Czech made the quarter-finals in Rome, injured her ankle in Rabat the week prior to the French Open and withdrew from the clay-court Grand Slam as a result.
Townsend, in fact, was the person who facilitated the ‘last-minute’ scratch partnership between the two former Doubles World No1s.
“Thank you Katerina for playing with me. We decided to do it two days before the tournament started,” said Gauff, a doubles finalist at the 2022 French Open. “It was very last-minute, I wasn’t planning on playing doubles, so thank you for asking me.
“Thank you to the fans. I know 11:30 Sunday morning is early for most people. It’s early for me.”
Later Gauff said: “I would much rather play before the men’s final than after it, because that could go seven hours. 11:30 was fine.
“It was just a joke, because I don’t like waking up early. I think it was good the tournament scheduled us before that match.”
Coco Gauff & Katerina Siniakova edged past Sara Errani & Jasmine Paolini in straight sets in the Paris final
The first hour of the match was largely dictated by Errani and Siniakova’s struggles on serve, as both were broken twice each, with the first set eventually moving into a tiebreak.
After Errani’s serve was broken the second time, Paolini stayed on the baseline to compensate in the 11th game, a tactic that worked as Errani held, and the Italians surged into the breaker.
There, Siniakova raised her game to win some key points that turned the tide in her and Gauff’s favour, and they took the first set when Errani’s volley at the net went long.
The Italians began the second set with real intensity, earning 4 break points in the first game, but Gauff & Siniakova battled back for a crucial hold before going up a break to take a 2-0 lead.
That appeared to take the wind out of Italian sails, as Gauff & Siniakova raced out to a 4-1 lead, and although Errani & Paolini were able to twice bring the set back on track to 4-3, they were broken for a 3rd time, and the American – Czech duo, seeded 5, took a 5-3 lead.
Gauff, who has often misfired with her revamped serve in recent months, showed no nerves when it mattered most, and comfortably held on to clinch the win, having been the only player to not lose serve in the match, which saw 9 breaks.
It left Paolini looking dejected, but her signature smile returned for the trophy presentation.
“It’s been two very intense weeks for me, very nice, but very emotional,” the 28-year-old said. “I have a lot of memories, and I can’t wait to be back here.” It was disappointment for Jasmine Paolini & Sara Errani who lost in 2 tight sets to Coco Gauff & Katerina Siniakova in Sunday’s doubles final
Gauff’s win also earned her a measure of revenge on Errani & Paolini, who defeated the American and her Australian partner Erin Routliffe in the final of the Italian Open in Rome last month.
“Every match, I think, we played really well, even when we weren’t playing so well we found a way to get out of it,” Gauff said afterwards. “For sure the last two matches were the toughest of the tournament, but we both did a good job of just staying calm and being aggressive and playing our tennis.
“She did a good job of winning those long rallies. That was tough today.”
Gauff is now a Grand Slam champion in both singles and doubles, something she did not expect to happen quite so soon, having also won the US Open singles title last year.
“I think it’s just one of those things, that when you least expect it to happen, it happens,” Gauff said, reflecting on her doubles triumph.
Victory finally came for Gauff in her 3rd women’s doubles final, having been the runner-up in championship matches at Roland Garros in 2022 and the US Open in 2021.
“After I lost the first two [doubles] finals, I thought, well, okay, I reached that point, maybe I should focus on singles,” Gauff said. “Same thing, US Open. When I won it, I didn’t expect to win. I was having a really bad year.
“Then here, I didn’t even expect to play. I think it’s funny how life teaches you those lessons.
“Third time’s a charm!” Doubles champions Coco Gauff & Katerina Siniakova (R) with runners-up (L) Jasmine Paolini & Sara Errani posing with their trophies
Siniakova owns a career Grand Slam in women’s doubles alongside partner Barbora Krejcikova, and has now won 8 majors, including the French Open in 2018 and 2021.
Errani has also won a career Grand Slam in doubles, alongside her former partner Roberta Vinci, the Italian pair having lifted the French Open title in 2012, which was the same year that Errani lost in the singles final.
“It’s really special to be in this court again. I don’t know how many more years I have to play. But it’s always special to play these kinds of matches,” the 37-year-old Errani said. “It will be special to play the Olympics here in this place. So I’ll see you in one month.”
28-year old Paolini was playing in her first Grand Slam final in both the women’s doubles as well as singles.
